Deadpool #13Review

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It's a pirate's life for Wade Wilson.

By Kevin Fuller

I didn't realize it until preparing for this review, but this issue is the first of the Deadpool run that has absolutely nothing to do with Norman Osborn. Since Norman stole the data on how to kill in the Skrull queen in the first arc (though that was never explained beyond "shoot her in the head"), Deadpool has been trying to get Norman Osborn to pay up, and he had to go through Tiger Shark, the Thunderbolts, and Bullseye/Hawkeye to do it. While still containing its trademark humor, Deadpool has been a little darker in tone, as most titles have been of late in the wake of Dark Reign. With the tie-in monkey off its back, writer Daniel Way is able to celebrate making it through the twelve issue trial period without cancellation by taking the title character back to his more absurd roots to hilarious fashion. Now only if the art could keep up its end of the deal…

With Deadpool now richer than God but needing to keep a relatively low profile as per his agreement with Bullseye, Wilson chooses the only logical option: become a pirate. Even though the pirate fad has been pretty unbearable for over a year now, Way smartly uses it as a conduit his jokes instead of making it the joke, which is a big difference. Since you can't be a solo pirate, this issue marks the return of whipping boy Bob, Agent of Hydra. Bob is nothing more than a one-dimensional straight man foil who can easily lose his charm through overexposure, but Way has smartly used him sparingly in his run thus far. Part time supporting player is the perfect role for him.

The biggest reason the humor works so well this issue is how varied it is. In the past, Way has occasionally overused the dueling internal monologue gimmick to the point where it would interfere with the flow of the story. He thankfully limits himself to a couple a well timed uses here. Thankfully, the rest isn't just poop jokes, even if one does sneak in. There's good word play, running jokes, and physical humor. I particularly loved the small touches like the language translation or Bob knowing when to take advantage of Wade's flights of fancy. While no one particular joke is meat-suit caliber funny, I still think this is the funniest issue so far taken as a whole.

This issue reminded me of some of the better written Cable & Deadpool issues, where both the plot and Deadpool's methods are completely absurd, compared to the somewhat normal plots but absurd methods on the current title. Sadly, the other thing that reminded me of Cable & Deadpool was the poor quality of the art. Maybe I've just been spoiled by Paco Medina, but Shawn Crystal's work just pales in comparison. The only thing I enjoyed was the expressiveness of Bob's "pirate" costume, but everything else from the faces to proportions to perspectives are way off. I sometimes complain about the proportions of Humberto Ramos's figures, but his are at least consistent from page to page. With Crystal, Deadpool's neck is sometimes as thick as his legs, then a few pages later Wade looks stick thin. A couple of panels (Deadpool and Bob's first sight of the island springs to mind) look like they were done in five minutes. Hopefully Paco comes back soon…

While a story this crazy and out there would probably get old fast with repetition, it's a breath of fresh air after twelve issues of tie-ins and crossovers. The humor is abundant and varied, with the quality fairly above the fart-joke level Deadpool sometimes gets dragged down into. Hopefully this arc will be a nice wacky vacation before integrating himself back into the Marvel status quo that has served the character so well up to this point. Either that, or at least give me a Deadpool/Bullseye miniseries, since they've more than proven their chemistry together.